While Nicki Minaj was rapping her hits to a packed Staples Center in Los Angeles, Miguel was across the way at the much more intimate Club Nokia serving up psychedelic sounds from his upcoming third album, Wildheart.
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Miguel hit the stage in an all-white ensemble as billowy as the songs he sang, most of which are a strong departure from his distinctively R&B radio hits.
Singles like “Adorn,” “All I Want Is You” and his most recent, “Coffee,” were sprinkled into the lineup for good measure, but the set was decidedly more rock and less roll than usual, and made it clear to fans that the Grammy-winning artist won’t be confined to the restraints of one genre.
The crowd wasn’t overly energetic, most likely because they didn’t know the words to most of the songs from the project that’s due out on June 30. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t enjoying the San Pedro, Calif., native’s latest, lustful offerings.
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Backed by his five-piece band, 29-year-old Miguel channeled his inner Prince and belted out his own brand of soulful, electro-punk inspired tunes. Screens flashed scenes of the desert, clouds and other trippy visuals that urged the crowd to “Transcend” as he moved through the track list with some classic rockstar flare; hanging on the tasseled mic stand in his fringed jacket and basking in the neon lights that shot from his stage.
“Taking time in solitude is the most important thing we can do,” the vocalist told the crowd during his extended version of “Adorn.” “Be mindful of your thoughts… you have a purpose. Allow yourself to reflect love… project love,” he said as he melted into his sweet spot falsetto over the ’80s style synth.
Miguel was in his element and obviously happy to be performing in front of some of his hometown family and friends, whom he took time to thank before jumping into the crowd and allowing himself to be swallowed by a sea of hands snapping selfies as he sang new tracks like “Hollywood Dreams.”